S C Maheshwari Secy Genl BPS speech at triennial GB meeting of NFRPA Palghat at Palakkad (Kerala) on 24.09.20016
Honorable Chief Guest,
Guests of honor, dignitaries on the dais, respected Senior comrades, affiliates
& members of NFRPA, Ladies and gentlemen:
I am honored to be
speaking to you on the occasion of Triennial AGM of National Federation ofRailway
Pensioners here at Palakkad. On this occasion I congratulate the leaders,
Management, Affiliates and members of NFRP& wish them many successful years
ahead. NFRP, Bharat Pensioners Samaj & AIFPA Chennai are MOU partners and
together we represent over 10 lac pensioners and have successfully walked
through decades, serving the cause of pensioners.
Ladies
& gentlemen, we are retired but not tired, our endeavor is to bring
all pensioners together.
When 54 lac CG pensioners, 80 lac state pensioners &
45 lac EPS 95 pensioners will walk together, all our woes will get resolved as
then we will have the strength to change the political scene of the country.
We
i.e BPS NFRP & AIFPA have been moving together struggling jointly &
severally for the common issues of pensioners i.e.
1.
Financial Security
2.
Healthcare &
3.
Social security.
Financial Security:
We
represented the issue to the 7th Central Pay Commission. Pay Commission
listened to us patiently. But alas! outcome is not encouraging. Inspite of the
fact that 7th CPC in principle accepted few of our submissions,
bureaucracy has negated these. We had
represented that wide gulf between minimum & maximum paid should be narrowed
down and brought back to1.7.1996 level of 1:8 and a common multiplication
factor for revision of pay & pension be worked out so that everyone gets
uniform raise. PC instead of reducing, further raised minimum maximum
paid gap to 1:13.88 & worked out 2.57 common multiplication factor. This
2.57 fitment factor recommended by the 7th CPC and accepted by the Govt. is
essentially a multiple factor which is the ratio of the new minimum pay arrived
at by the 7th Pay Commission i.e. Rs 18,000/- and the existing minimum pay Rs.
7,000/-. This provides only 14.29% rise in Salary (which in terms of money is
Rs 2250/- {7000+125% DR =Rs.15750/- to 18000} and difference in take home after
deductions is just Rs. 500/- after 10 years) as well as in Pension which is the
historically the lowest raise given by any Govt. in the past seventy years.
This has happened because of incorrect calculation of minimum revised salary
resulted not only by adoption of lower prices of commodities but also due to
adoption of Aykroyd formula of 1948 without updating it. It is surprising as to
how a gender bias 1948 formula of Dr Aykroyd adopted by ILC in 1957 is applied,
without updating, in digital India of 2016. In today’s scenario how can Indian
civil society accept a formula for minimum requirement which treats the lady of
the house as 0.8 unit compared to the adult male of the house as 1 unit.
Further this formula does not at all take into consideration the minimum
requirement of today’s digital India i.e. a smart mobile phone with internet
connection.Considering wife to be .80 unit is nothing but gender bias
indicating a colonial mindset of Dr Aykroyd. In the present scenario a wife too
puts in the same amount rather more of physical and intellectual work as
compared to the husband. She needs more nutrients & healthcare to keep
herself fit to be a mother and as an educationist for her school going
children. She needs better clothing than 1957. A lady whether she is a wife of
a labourer or of a Secretary to Govt. of India, has a basic right to keep
herself reasonably presentable for which she needs some minimum add-ons. As
such treating her to be less than a unit is gross injustice, gender bias and
unconstitutional. Similarly growing children of up-to 14 years of age need more
of proteins, fats & carbohydrates, need to take sufficient exercise &
field activities for healthy growth. Today they need much better and more
clothing, better education & healthcare compared to 50s. The Nation needs
healthy & stout young citizens. It is against the National interest to
restrict their need based minimum requirement to .6 unit.
Thus
the Minimum Salary & correspondingly the fitment benefit of 2.57 needs
upwards revision. As of now Govt. has refered the issue to a high-powered committee.But
as per indications hardly any change is expected,
The 2nd big issue in this connection is
100 % parity between pre & post 1.1.2016 retirees: 7th CPC recommended vide
their Para 10.1.67 that: All the civilian personnel including CAPF who retired
prior to 01.01.2016 shall first be fixed in the Pay Matrix recommended by the
Commission, on the basis of the Pay Band and Grade Pay at which they retired,
at the minimum of the corresponding level in the matrix. This amount shall be
raised, to arrive at the notional pay of the retiree, by adding the number of
increments he/she had earned in that level while in service, at the rate of
three percent. Fifty percent of the total amount so arrived at shall be the
revised pension. Govt. says it may not be feasible to implement. However, on
our insistence This recommendation has
been accepted by the Govt. but, subject to feasibility. On this issue we could
reach consensus with S 30 & S 29 Association and have represented that the required records
are available in 95% cases & the remaining can be recasted, thus the
recommendation can easily be implemented.
Currently
both the above issues are under consideration of committees constituted for
this purpose and we will have to wait for the out come
Similarly, the issue of raising FMA is also under consideration of a
committee. In 2014 while submitting memorandum to 7th CPC based on
the information gathered under RTI we had asked for Rs 2000/ per month which
was rejected not on merit but on the flimsy ground that FMA was recently raised
from 300/- to Rs500/-. Taking into consideration the sky rocketing inflation of
health care we have requested the spl committee to raise FMA to Rs 3000/-per
month
There
are several other issues relating to our financial securityfew of which I wish
to enumerate before you today,
No
1 isregarding grantingof revised corresponding 5th CPC scales to the
specific categories as detailed in Rly Board orders dated 16.10.1998:
NFRP & BPS have been representing that this is not a case of upgradation
but it is an issue of grantingcorresponding 5th CPC scales to
specific categories. Sh K S Srinivasan has been vehemently perusing the case for
the last several years & BPS is whole heartedly supporting it. In July this
year there had been long discussions with Rly Board topofficers, outcome is
awaited. However, in the meantime Madras High Court on02.08.2016 inWritPetn. No.13207 of 2013 R.Sethumadhavan Vs UOI has given
a favorable judgement we have yet to see if UOI files an appeal in SC or
accepts the HC judgment.
No2
IsRestoration of 2/3rd commutation
our simple argument is that commutation is an advance given by the employer to
the retiring employee at a specified rate of interest, the retired employee
repays it through monthly instalments from his/her pension,thus as soon as the
entire amount with interest is recovered deduction from his/her pension should
stop restoring full pension. Recently on 01.09.2016 Supreme Courtin
the case of Union of India -Vs- (Late) K. Ganeshan in Civil Appeal No. 6048 of 2010
and Civil Appeal No. 6371 of 2010. has issued orders for Restoration of 2/3rd
Commuted Pension after 15 yrs of PSU Absorbees who took full Commutation of
Pension. We have represented that this judgement be applied to all similarly
placed persons.
3.Additional
age related Pension: we represented to 7th CPC that Sixth Pay Commission had recommended additional Pension
of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 % for retirees and family pensioners on attaining the
age of 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 years respectively. However, in the present scenarioof
climatic changes, incidence of pesticides and rising pollution, old age
disabilities/diseases set in by thetime an employee retires and go on
manifesting very fast, needing additional finances to take care of
thesedisabilities and diseases, especially as the cost of health care has gone
very high.Recommendation of Sixth PayCommission for grant of 100% additional
Pension after 100 years of age was rather illusionary in view ofchances of
survival up to or beyond age of 100 years being rare.It was therefore,
requested to the 7th CPC that 10% Additional Pension should be
granted every 5 years from the age of 65to 75 years & thereafter 20% every
5 years from 80 years onwards and 100% after 90 years of age.
During the discussion 7 CPC was agreeable to start age
related additional pension from the age of 75 yrs but finally they rejected the
demand not on merit but simply because MOD was not agreeable to it.
We have represented against the rejection but Govt. is
salient.
4.NPS
for post 2004 recruited employees:As of now taking into
consideration
exigency of services Defence Forces have been kept out of the purview of NPS we
have represented that Railway services too are as arduous & risky as those
of Defence forces. Every year over 3000 Rly employees get run over & killed
while on duty, most of them get cut into pieces. They are not called martyrs,
waiting postmortem their bodies are shelved in morgue for several days & noone
from administration goes to their families for consolation or attend their funeral.
Over 800 Railway employees become disabled due to accidents on duty. Not only
that, during war time Rly is life line for armed forces. It is the devotion
&dedication of Rly employees that men, material including Arms Ammunition,
Artillery & ration reaches them in time as such Rly services too should
also be given the benefit of pre 2004 pension scheme.EarlierSh MallikarjunKharge, the Railways Minister in the previous
government, had raised the issue with the then Finance Minister in March 2014.The
present Rly Minister too wrote to finance Ministerto exclude Rly employees from
NPS. But alas Finance Minister has declined.
5.Deprivation of all the central pay commission benefits in terms of pay revisions & Pensionary benefits to pensioners born on 1.1.1946/1938/1928 owing to their retirements on31.12.2005/1955/1985 :
The
modified FR56(a), requires every one whose date of birth
is the first of a month to retire from service on the afternoon of the last day
of the preceding month on attaining the age of superannuation .As a result of
this modification pensioners born on
1.1.1946/1938/1928 are deprived of all the central pay commission benefits in
terms of pay revisions & Pensionary benefits owing to their
retirements on31.12.2005/1955/1985.
This proviso
singled out the Ist Jan. 1946/1938/1928-born pensioners for deprivation of
the Pay Commission benefits. Such of the pensioners
are made to suffer for no fault of theirs and
are deprived of EQUALITY of status and of
opportunity. This violation of Article 14 of constitution need to
be set right immediately.issue was discussed with 7th CPC as it
was one of the items of BPS memorandum to 7th CPC but nothing
positive could be achieved. However issue is still on BPS agenda and is being pursued.
6.Income
tax on PensionThe purchase valve of
pension gets reduced day by day due to continuous high inflation and steep rise
in cost of food items and medical facilities. Retired persons/senior citizens
do not enjoy fully, public goods and services provided by the Government for
citizens due to lack of mobility and many other factors coupled with falling
interest rates on their deposits.Their ability to pay tax gets reduced year to
year after retirement due to ever increasing expenditure on food,medicine and
other incidental. Their net worth at year end gets reduced considerably
compared to the beginning of the year. Inflation for pensioners is much more
than any Tax.It erodes the major part of the already inadequate pension. To
enable pensioners, at the far end of their lives, tolive in minimumcomfort and
to cater for ever rising cost of living, they may be spared from paying income
tax on pension& the DR as was recommended 5th CPC.
7.Application
of S C judgements in case of similarly placed persons Govt.
should notindirectly pressurize courts by appealing again & again to get
judgements reversed in their favour and must implement all Supreme court
judgements to all similarly placed persons
Fifth CPC recommended in Para 126.5 of their report that
any court judgement involving common policy matter of pay/pension to a group of
employees/pensions, should automatically without driving every affected
individual to Court of law.
Health care:
It
is a major issue facing Rly RELHS beneficiaries Inspite of the fact that the right to health, medical aid to protect the health
and vigour of a worker while in service or post retirement is a fundamental
right.{ in terms of Article 21 read with Article 39 for a 41,
43, 48A and all related Articles as pronounced by the
Supreme Court in Consumer Education and Research Centre
& Others vs Union of India (AIR 1995Supreme Court 922)} M/O Railways on the issue of Smart
Card and the M/O Rlys have been cutting jokes with Rly RELHS beneficiaries over
the last one decade.
The CASHLESS
TREATMENT SCHEME IN EMERGENCY (CTSE) FOR RELHS BENEFICIARIES AT EMPANELLED
HOSPITALS floated vide Railway Board’s
letter No.2014/H/28/1/Smart Card/Part ‘A’ dated 14.07.2016 is another big joke with Rly pensioners & family
pensioners as it requires additional
payment of exorbitantly heavy amounts of money ranging between Rs.10000 to
Rs.50000 from existing RELHS
beneficiaries who have already paid last month’s Salary/2 pensions for joining
it and then an amount of Rs 2000 to 10000/ to the empaneled hospital for getting
medical treatment in case of Emergency under CTSE. BPS has represented that the
Scheme of Cashless Service for RELHS Card Holder to take treatment in
recognized Private Hospitals in emergency promulgated vide Rly Board
No.2007/H/28/1/RELHS/Smart Card New Delhi, dated 18.07.2012 and which stands
implemented on Eastern Railways (Reference CMD ERlyNo. MD. 173/0/Smart Card
Dated: 11th June, 2013) is much better and may with slight amendments be
adopted for PAN INDIA Smart card for RELHS beneficiaries
Social Security :We strive not only to seek Govt. support in
this deficient area but also to develop systems which will enable all of us to
act as one family with mutual confidence, support and growing interdependence.
Our organizations have also been motivating pensioners to indulge in
social welfare of the civil society. Whenever there is a natural calamity,
pensioners come forward not only with monetary assistance but physically also
they stand shoulder to shoulder with civil administration and the fellow
citizens in distress. With our motivation, Pensioners are coming forward to donate
not only organs but even their whole bodies so that someone after their
departure can survive to see this beautiful world.
Several of our affiliates are monetarily helping underprivileged children to
continue their studies. Similarly, poor ladies in distress are being helped to
earn honorable living. However, we wish Govt. & Law & order authorities
to be more sensitive towards caring for Sr Citizens.
Ladies & gentlemen total strength of
pensioners in the countryis :
Defence
pensioners/family pensioners = 1860000
Defence
civilian Pensioners = 555000
Rly
Pensioners/family pensioners = 1375000
Central
Govt. Civil Pensioners/family pensioners
= 1081000
Postal = 325000
State
Govt. Pensioners =
7915000
EPS
95 Pensioners = 4450000
PSU
pensioners
= 0700000
adding
them, figure goes to 1,82,61000
Elderly
population (20016) =
123million
Elderly
Electoral (2014 ) =100
million
National
Voting average (2014) =66.4 %
Elderly
Voting average= 90%
Effective
% of Elderly votes = 16.6%
(2014)
Our
aim should be to consolidate 123 million Sr. Citizen voters through18.261
million pensioners. Sooner we start working to achieve this goal better it is
for all of us as this is the only way out to make governments take care of our
woes.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat
S.C. Maheshwari
Secy Genl BPS
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